All the Makes: Daewoo to Duryea

DAEWOO

(1980 - present)

Established itself using the time honoured tradition
of bringing cheap and cheerful cars to market, although
just how cheerful a Matiz is could be debated. When
others started to match the extended warranties and
pricing, there seemed little point in shopping for
a Daewoo, the operation falling into financial difficulty
and then being taken over by GM. Sold for a time from
Holden dealers, the brand exiting Australia in 2005.
Has returned as a re-badged Barina, unfortunately at
the expense of the far better Opel derivative.

DAF

(1958 - 1975)

At a time when auto transmissions were both complex
and expensive, DAF was a pioneer in bringing a simplified
auto to the cheaper end cars. Rather than using gears,
the DAF used twin Vee-belts running over 2 sets of
pulleys, changing sizes according to road conditions
and being controlled by a centrifugal clutch. The 1958
DAF 33 used this ingenous transmission (the forerunner
to the now more common CVT), linked to a 590cc air
cooled engine.

As DAF's grew in size, they would switch
to using Renault running gear, and in 1968 several
would be entered into the London-Sydney marathon, and
while they did not come in the placings they did finish
the race, which was quite an achievement! The final
iteration was released in 1972 as the 66, but the company
was soon to be swallowed up by Volvo who would restyle
the 66 and launch it as the Volvo 343.

DAIHATSU

(1907 - present)

Founded in 1907 to manufacture the internal combustion
engine, by 1930 the company was manufacturing three-wheeled
vans. It was not until the early 1950's that Daihatsu
began the manufacture of passenger cars, it owing much
of its design to the earlier vans, even carrying over
the three-wheeled layout and rear mounted 540cc air
cooled engine. By 1963 Daihatsu had managed to add
the much needed 4th wheel to their Campagno models,
although these early iterations were still extremely
small in size; available in saloon, sports and station
wagon variants, all were equipped with the Daihatsu
797cc four cylinder engine.

By 1966 the engine capacity
had grown to 958cc, it producing 65 bhp, then in 1967
the company again returned to the manufacture of light-weight
mini cars, this time with the 356cc "Fellow";
despite its diminutive size it would prove extremely
popular in the domestic market, and would remain in
production into the early 1970's. Absorbed into the
Toyota conglomerate, the companies offerings were soon
to mimic those of its bigger brother, although they
were always smaller and cheaper. The Compagno was replaced
by the Consorte, and in reality it was only a thinly
disguised Corolla.

Most notable though was the Taft;
this Jeep like 4x4 was powered by a 958cc four cylinder
engine and would begin a trend that would see Daihatsu
manufacture a long line of very profitable light 4
wheel drive vehicles, the only real competition in
this section of the market coming from Suzuki's LJ80.
By 1977 the Fellow had grown to a 547cc four stroke
engine, however the use by date had long expired, it
being replaced by the Cuore fitted with a transverse
mounted engine.

Then came the wonderful little Charade,
a front-wheel-drive car fitted with a unique 60.6ci
993cc three cylinder engine mated to a 5 speed gearbox.
Incredibly popular, the engineers even set about fitting
the little Charade with an ultra-economical turbo-diesel.
For a time the Charade held the honor of being the
only 3 cylinder car in the world, excluding of course
the Italian built Innocenti, but even this car used
the Daihatsu engine.

DAIMLER

(1896 - present)

Daimler was formed in 1896 by Fredrick Simms, he acquiring
the patent rights to sell Gottlieb Daimler’s 1
horsepower motorboat engines; more importantly Simms
was also able to retain the Daimler name. The same year
the Daimler Motor Syndicate would enter into car production
at their newly established facility in Coventry, soon
after garnering Royal patronage when the Prince of Wales
(later Edward VII) was given a ride in a Daimler by John
Scott-Montagu, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.

In 1907 Daimler
introduced the now trademark fluted grille, then in 1908
it acquired the license to build the “Knight” sleeve
valve engines for its automobiles. During World War 1
Daimler manufactured engines for the Little and Big Willie,
the worlds first ever tanks, in addition to engines for
scout vehicles, planes, ambulances, trucks and double-decker
buses!

In 1920 the company merged with AEC to form the
Associated Daimler Company to build commercial vehicles.
During World War 2 the company is best known for its
manufacture of the “Ferret”, a stoic armored
car that would do service in over 136 countries around
the world. After the war Daimler lost its way, creating
too many models and selling too few, in many respects
becoming the play thing of one Lady Norah Docker.

Jaguar,
on the other hand, could barely keep up with demand and,
with Daimler ripe for the picking, realized it would
provide both an up-market division and much needed extra
production facilities. In 1960 Jaguar would acquire Daimler,
shortly after arguably the prettiest and most highly
prized iteration coming to market, the wonderful SP250
Dart.

The halcyon days would be short lived, with the
rationalization of British automotive manufacturers ensuring
some would live on as mere name plates. Since that time,
Daimlers have simply been "badge engineered" versions
of current production Jaguar sedans, although they were
always fitted with the distinctive fluted grill, upgraded
upholstery, and woodwork – making them the flagship
of the marque.

The only truly unique Daimler model
to emerge between 1967 and 1992 was the DS420 Limousine.
It is worth noting that coachbuilders Vanden Plas were
merged into BMC, and then assigned to the Daimler group
in 1966, a name used for the US market instead of Daimler
to ensure no confusion with the German competition.

DARRACQ

(1896 - 1920)

Founded by Alexandre Darracq in 1896, the company
started out manufacturing bicycles with the Gladiator
bicycle company. Soon the company was manufacturing
petrol engine powered tricycles inspired by Léon
Bolléé. The tricycles were a great success,
and Darracq went on to purchase Bolléé’s
new 4 wheel design, however these strangely failed
to repeat the success.

Then in 1900 Darracq released
his own voiturette, powered by a single cylinder 785cc
engine. Best of all, this iteration was shaft driven
(rather than chain driven), and it was soon joined
by larger two and four cylinder cars.

Everything seemed
to be going well for the company, Darracq’s even
doing well on the race track, but a decision to enter
the steam bus industry would prove ill-founded. The
next line of cars also failed to make an impact, and
facing bankruptcy it was Englishman Owen Clegg who
came to the rescue. He set about creating a new range
of cars featuring the Rover Twelve design, and for
a time the company was once again successful, even
supplying cars to the French army.

Following World
War 1 a new model was released that featured a V8 engine
mated to a four-speed gearbox – it even featured
4 wheel brakes; it should have been successful, but
it wasn’t – Darracq would be acquired by
Talbot in 1920, the name then used on Talbot’s
being sold in France.

DATSUN

(1912 - 1983)

Grew from a prototype develped by engineer Masujiro Hashimoto
of Tokyo, and funded by K. Den, R. Aoyama and A. Takeuchi
(the first letter from each last name making the acronym
DAT). Went into production as a DAT 31 in 1915, powered
by a 122ci 2 liter 4 cylinder engine. Concentrated
on truck manufacture from 1926, although the Lila light
car became increasingly popular, particularly with
cab drivers.

Acquired in 1931, the new owners quickly
set about mass producing vehicles for the export market,
their first attempt being an almost identical copy
of the Austin Seven. Wanting to use the Japanese rising
sun as part of its trademark, added the word SUN to
DAT, creating DATSUN and having the rising sun as a
background to their emblem. Turned again to Austin
for inspiration after World War 2, the Bluebird's quickly
gaining popularity for robustness and reliability.

DE DIETRICH

(1897 - 1934)

It was not unusual for French companies to expand into
automobile manufacture, one such concern being De Dietrich.
Until then primarily concerned with the manufacture
of railway rolling stock, one of the principal shareholders
of De Dietrich had a son, Adrien de Turckheim, who
had acquired the licence to build Bollée cars,
which he did in De Dietrich's factories at Luneville,
France and Alsace (then part of Germany).

Other licence-built
cars were to follow, including designs from Léon
Turcar and Simon Méry. Turckheim would leave
in 1904 to build Lorraine-Dietrichs, taking over British
company Ariel and Italian company Isotta-Franshini
in 1907.

Losing money at a fast rate, both aquisitions
would be sold within a couple of years, however that
would not deter Turckheim from releasing a range of
more modern cars, including a 15 (fifteen) liter Grand
Prix racer. Following World War 1 the company manufactured
the six cylinder 15CV Lorraine-Dietrich tourer, capable
of a very hefty (for the time) 60 mph (97 km/h).

This
car would enjoy several race wins, even taking out
two Le Mans titles in the early 1920's, however the
company turned to aircraft engine manufacture during
the 1930's and, in 1934, closed the automobile division
completely.

DE DION BOUTON

(1883 - 1932)

Founded by partners Count Albert de Dion and engineer
Georges Bouton in 1883 to manufacture steam tricycles,
quickly progressed to petrol engines, this latter form
setting the fastest time in the 1894 Paris-Rouen Trials.
The performance of their petrol driven iterations the
result of an extremely (for the day) high revving engine
of around 2000rpm, almost double that of competitors.

Developed their first 4-wheeler in 1899, and by 1910
was manufacturing a V8. Unable to scale up and be competitive
with other automobile manufacturers, the company would
close in 1927, be resurrected by the French government
for a short time, then close for good in 1932.

DELAGE

(1905 - 1954)

Founded by Louis Delage in 1905, quickly became successful
at the race track, at first with De Dion engines and
then with their own. Turned into a munitions manufacturer
for the war, then went into the manufacture of sports
tourers. Their 1932 Super Sports featured a 4 liter
engine and was capable of 112mph (180 km/h), although
the company quickly re-tooled to manufacturer smaller,
cheaper and more economical models during the depression.

Unfortunately these models were rushed into production
with little time spent on testing, and the problems
associated with the new smaller models would tarnish
the Delage reputation forever. By 1935 the company
was near bankruptcy, Paris agent Walter Watney purchasing
the concern and selling the majority of the company
to outside engineering companies. He obtained the licence
to build Delahayes, however would re-badge these as
a Delage, until finally going out of business in 1954.

DELAHAYE

(1894 - 1954)

Founded by Emile Delahaye in 1895,
building his first vehicle, although for some time
the company concentrated on the manufacture of marine
engines. In 1903 the company manufactured a mammoth
7 liter four cylinder engine featuring twin overhead
valve gear, unfortunately not for use in cars. Delahaye
could have so easily been the first to introduce this
technology to the automobile, but that honour goes
to Peugeot for their 1912 GP.

The companies fortunes
were to take a significant turn for the better when
a young designer Jean Francois joined the Delahaye
team. Soon the company were to release the 135 range,
for the first time entering into direct competition
with the aforementioned and better known French marques
of the day.

The first of the
135’s used
Wilson-type pre-selector transmissions, however these
were soon replaced by a French “Cotal” transmission,
which employed epicyclic internals and an electrical
gearchange control, by means of electromagnetic clutches.
The Cotal transmission was typically French, and by
that we mean typically very innovative, and complex!
A variety of body styles were available, ranging from
open sports to elegant Grand Tourers.

The 135 was also
successful in competitions, and in 1936 a fleet of
them took second, third, fourth and fifth places in
the French (sports-car) GP. And to show how versatile
the 135 was, an example that had taken part in the
GP then went on to win the 1937 Monte Carlo rally.

The “sister” car
to the 135 was the Type 145, which used the same basic
chassis design, but with an overhead valve 4.5 liter
V12 engine. This was reputed to be capable of 250bhp,
a monstrous figure for its day. The 145 was really
intended as a two-seater racing sports-car, for long-distance
events like Le Mans, or - with all road equipment removed
- for use in GP racing against the Mercedes-Benz and
Auto-Union cars. On one famous occasion, at the Pau
street circuit in 1937, a Delahaye defeated the mighty
Mercedes-Benz!

The war had not been kind to the marque,
but many blamed the crippling post war taxation for
the demise of this and other “Grandes Routieres”.
While the West did everything to re-establish West
German manufacture, it would seem they turned their
collective backs on those from their own backyards,
we won’t call it a war crime, but at the very
least it was a great tradgedy.
Lost
Marques

DELAUNAY-BELLEVILLE

(1904 - 1950)

Louis Delaunay found work at boiler maker Belleville
of Paris in the 1860’s, he going on to marry
the boss’s daughter. He changed his name to Delaunay-Belleville,
then went into the car manufacturing business. His
first iterations were brilliantly designed, and featured
a rounded hood that indeed closely resembled a boiler.

In many ways the Delaunay- Belleville was the French
equivalent of the British Rolls Royce, and the hoi-polloi
were soon eager to be seen in a Delaunay-Belleville,
people such as Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (then following
the revolution both Trotsky and Lenin would continue
the tradition). Louis Delaunay passed away in 1912,
however his son Robert assumed control, however the
company would struggle and, during the 1930’s,
was forced to purchase Continental engines from the
US rather than manufacture their own. After the war
the company concentrated on the manufacture of the
mini “Rovin” car, with other models and
trucks being manufactured up to 1950.

DELLOW

(1947 - 1959)

A short-lived British marque that began the manufacture
of predominantly one-off trial cars for competition work,
although some saw road use. The Ford 10 was the donor
car, it being modified to ensure suitability for hill-climbs
and trial work - the requirements being that it be both
light and afford acceptable ground clearance. The Ford
side-valve four cylinder engine was used, however many
purchasers would further modify their Dellow's to keep
them competitive.

DE LOREAN

(1981 - 1982)

Sports car manufacturer founded by John
DeLorean in 1973, who was able to persuade the
British government to invest more than $140 million
in the venture in hopes of stimulating the economy
in Belfast. American investors put up another $31
million, among them entertainers Johnny Carson who
contributed $500,000, and Sammy Davis Jr., who coughed
up $150,000.

The rear-engine, gull-winged, stainless-steel
car that emerged in 1981 was well received at first
and developed a cult following which helped propel
it into the "Back to the Future" films...,
but the $25,000 price tag was a good bit higher at
the time than that of the principal competition-GM's
Corvette.

Unsold DeLoreans began piling up at dealerships.
The factory only produced about 8,900 cars in three
years, and many of those went unsold. Short of cash,
DeLorean asked the British government for another
$30 million, but PM Margaret Thatcher turned him
down. In February, 1982, the British government declared
the DeLorean Motor Co. insolvent and appointed a
receiver to take over the firm.

DE SOTO

(1928 - 1960)

De Soto was the mid-level division for Chrysler, a
step up from the Plymouth but a little below the Dodge.
Of course rationalisation would see the divisions share
a common parts bin, and so the very first 1928 De Soto
was very similar indeed to the Chryslers of the day.
In fact, the De Soto Airflow only differed from the
Chrysler Airflow in name (and badge work) alone. The
earliest De Soto’s used a straight-eight engine,
then came the straight six and, from 1955, the V8 iterations.

As styling changes were made at Chrysler, so too were
the changes reflected at De Soto, including Virgil
Exner’s “Forward Look” of 1957. But
the De Soto’s never really distanced themselves
adequately from the other Chrysler divisions of the
day, and sales were never meeting expectation. In 1958
Chrysler took the bold move to merge the division with
Plymouth, the very last De Soto badged car being manufactured
in 1960.

DE TOMASO

(1956 - 1984)

Founded by Argentinian Alejandro de Tomaso, son of a
former Prime Minister. Was to take over the family estate
but political pressure saw him flee to Italy. Passionate
about motor sports, he met with the Maserati brothers
and raced their OSCA cars until founding his own company
in 1959, dedicated to building race cars powered by OSCA
engines. Began an association with Ford in 1963 when
he launched the Vallunga, an important but not terribly
successful car, but responsible for establishing the
theory that an Italian exotic could be powered by a Ford
V8.

The Vallunga was followed by the Mangusta, and many
buyers grew to love the concept of an affordable power-plant
wrapped in Italian sheet metal. DeTomaso's American wife
had suitable connections, most noteably with Rowan Industries
of New Jersey, who not only helped the marque establish
itself in the US, but invested suffient funds to allow
DeTomaso to take over Ghia coach-builders in 1967. The
Mangusta was replaced by the Pantera in 1970.

DETROIT ELECTRIC

(1907 - 1938)

Today we are prone to think of electric
cars as a futuristic concern, but they have in fact
been around for over a century. The Anderson Carriage
Company started out as the manufacturer of horse-drawn
carriages and buggies, but recognised the rising influence
of the automobile very early on and knew it had to
diversify to remain in business. In 1907 it began the
manufacture of electric “Town Cars”, at
the time these enjoying a short lived “boom” era,
many considering them a far better alternative to the
temperamental, noisy and dirty petrol driven variety.

By 1911 the company had gone from strength to strength,
and so the company was renamed the “Anderson
Electric Car Company”, at that time manufacturing
over 1000 such vehicles a year. After World War 1 the
electric car fell from favour almost overnight, with
petrol powered vehicles now affording better reliability
and comfort, and most importantly speed.

In 1919 the
company again changed names, this time to “Detroit
Electric”,
and to make their electric cars more saleable, each
was fashioned with fake adornments to make them look
every bit like a regular petrol version – including
the fitment of fake radiators and engine cowls. For
a time the cars used bodies supplied by Willys-Overland,
most being made to special order. But the early twentieth
century was not the time for electric cars, and in
1938 the operation would come to an end.

DKW

(1928 - 1966)

Founded by Jorgen Skafte Rasmussen in Saxony after
studying Engineering in Mittweida. By 1904 he had
set up an apparatus engineering company, and in 1916
began experimenting with steam-driven motor vehicles.
Although these experiments did not lead to any specific
product, they yielded the company name and trademark
DKW, derived from the German words for "steam-driven vehicle" (Dampf Kraft
Wagen). In 1919, Rasmussen obtained the design of a two-stroke
engine from Hugo Ruppe, a tiny version of which he sold
as a toy engine under the name of "Des Knaben Wunsch",
meaning "The Boy's Dream".

This mini engine
was subsequently upscaled and used as an auxiliary cycle
engine, evolving into a fully-fledged motorcycle engine
called "Das Kleine Wunder" (The Little Miracle)
in 1922. DKW became the largest motorcycle manufacturer
in the world during the 1920’s, and was also regarded
as a leading international engine manufacturer.

By 1927
Rasmussen had acquired design and production facilities
for six and eight-cylinder engines from a Detroit automobile
company which had been wound up, with two new Audi models
being powered by the DKW engines. Rasmussen however remained
committed to the idea of manufacturing smaller, less
costly vehicles.

The very first DKW cars were rear-wheel
drive, and were built in Berlin-Spandau. At the end of
1930, Rasmussen commissioned the Zwickau plant to develop
a car to be powered by a two-cylinder, two-stroke motorcycle
engine with a capacity of 600cc. The designers, Walter
Haustein and Oskar Arlt, used a unitary wooden chassis
with leatherette upholstery, swing axles at the front
and rear, and made the vehicle front-wheel drive.

Unveiled
at the 1931 Berlin Motor Show, the DKW “Front” caused
a sensation with the masses. The DKW Front was built
at the Audi factory, and went on to become the most-produced,
most popular German small car of its day. The company
merged with Audi, Horch and Wanderer to form the Auto
Union group.

DOBLE

(1914 - 1931)

The advent of the steam car may have
been an aberration in Europe, but it was to enjoy a
much longer hey day in the US, and Doble rode the wave
of success better than most. If you turned the clock
back to early last century, you would find a time when
everyone knew the automobile would be a success, but
there were competing technologies concerned with how
best such an automobile should be powered.

Much like
the debate in the early 1980’s as to the virtues
of VHS versus Beta, the three main choices consisted
of petrol, electric and steam. In a time before tree-hugging
greenies, social conscience and global warming, people
decided on what was best based on practicality – and
who could blame them – such modern day conveniences
as washing machines, fridges and air-conditioners were
decades from evolution, and the notion of starting
a steam car on a cold winters morning would have discouraged
the most fervent supporter of the technology.

But petrol
powered cars were far from cementing their place in
automotive history in the early part of last century,
and so it came to pass that Abner Doble, with the financial
backing of his parents, began the manufacture of steam
cars in 1911, at the young age of 16. Full scale production
would commence in 1914, with the simply named Model
A, followed by the models B and C.

His cars would soon
come to the attention of C.L. lewis, who assisted with
more funding, it being used to develop the GEC Doble
(or Doble-Detroit) in 1916. Soon Doble had 11,000 orders
on his books, but with the advent of World War 1 he
was unable to obtain the necessary steel for manufacture.

Disillusioned with the project, Doble moved to California,
however after 7 years the urge to build a steam powered
automobile again proved too great, and he announced
the release of the Model E. Most importantly, the Model
E looked much the same as any petrol driven car – in
some ways it being even more beautiful, and with technological
advances Doble had perfected a steam powered system
that almost negated the drawbacks of warm up time and
cold weather starts.

The orders began to roll in, and
soon the waiting list grew to over 1000, however in
a shonky stock market deal Abner Doble was cheated
out of the money he thought he had wisely invested
for the development of the Model E. Forced to sell
his factory and all other assets, he went to Germany
to assist with the design of the post-war Paxton Phoenix
and Keen cars – although these were never successful.

DODGE

(1914 - present)

Founded by brothers John and Horace Dodge; the duo
began as bicycle machinists working in their fathers
Michigan (USA) shop, then moving to Windsor, Ontario
(Canada) where they adapted their skills to meet the
needs of the fledgling automotive industry. They were
particularly adept at the manufacture of intricate
automotive parts, their products soon coming to the
attention of Henry Ford. So impressed with the quality
of their workmanship, and the brothers themselves,
Ford would offer them a whopping one-tenth interest
in his own new car company.

That partnership would
endure for the next 12 years, the brothers then splitting
from Ford to pursue the creation of their own automotive
empire, particularly given that the Fords of the day
were built almost entirely out of Dodge parts! When
asked why he and his brother wanted to build their
own car, John Dodge reportedly said "Think
of all the Ford owners who will someday want an automobile".

In 1914 Dodge
Brothers was formed, and in their first year the "Old Betsy" would
be released, a rugged car built for reliability and durability at a time such
vehicles were held in very high regard; that year Dodge built a total of 249
new cars. In 1928 Chrysler acquired the company, creating a new division to help
it better compete with the all conquering GM, and at the same time adding much
needed additional production facilities.

During World War 2 the company would
manufacture the highly acclaimed Power Wagon - a vehicle that would continue
in production a decade after the war. The company would continue to lead the
way in technical innovation, including the first 140-horsepower "Red Ram" Hemi
V8 engine in the 1953 Coronet. In the 1960s and '70s Dodge contributed to America's
fascination with high-performance muscle cars by manufacturing the 505 Charger
Daytona’s for stock- car racing and as production cars.

From the 1980’s
Dodge engineers and designers would set about the creation of some of the most
desirable sheet metal going around, from the Dodge 400 (and the Chrysler Lebaron)
convertibles of the 1980’s, to the Viper of the
90s. And like the Old Betsy of days past, Dodge would
also manufacture a formidable lineup of rugged pickups
and small trucks, such as the Ram, Dakota and Durango.

DONKERVOORT

(1978 - present)

You’re not going to impress the ladies when
you tell them you drive a Donkervoort, leastwise
not in Australia. But more is the shame, the Dutch
company concerned with the manufacture of highly
desirable sports cars inspired by the original
Lotus Seven. Founded by Joop Donkervoort, the company
began by building Seven replica’s, although
the Donkervoort interpretation was bestowed with
far superior interior appointments and a top speed
of 160 km/h which, it is alledged, would keep out
the rain if travelling the autobahn at top speed.

DUESENBERG

(1920 - 1937)

Founded by Fred Duesenberg,
an aspiring car designer who had played a big part
in the design of the “Mason” automobile
in 1906, after which he set up his own racing engine
business with brother August. Together, the pair built
and supplied their race engines to Mason in 1912, and
then established the Duesenberg Motor Co. the following
year. As their business expanded, Duesenberg began
manufacturing a wide variety of engines including racing,
road car, airplane and marine varieties.

A special
16-cylinder unit powered a Land Speed Record contender
up to 158mph (254.3 km/h) in 1919, and in 1921 a Duesenberg
won the prestigious French Grand Prix. The first Duesenberg
production car followed in late 1921; called the Model
A, it had a straight eight-cylinder 260cu.in (4.25
liter) engine, and was the first-ever North American
car to use hydraulic brakes. Less than 500 cars were
sold up to 1926, at which point the company was taken
over by the colorful entrepreneur Erret Lobban Cord – founder
of the Cord Automobile Company.

Cord kept Fred Duesenberg
on as an employee, and soon had him developing the
wonderful “Model
J”. The car was launched in 1928 and featured
a massive straight-eight 420cu.in (6.9 liter) engine
built by Lycoming - another company in the Cord group.
The engine had twin chain-driven overhead camshafts,
four valves per cylinder and a (claimed) power output
of 265bhp
– almost twice that of any other American built
car of the time.

The open four-seater “J”
was good for a top speed of around 116mph (186.7 km/h)
– quite literally awesome for the time! Cord
did not allow the Depression to thwart his grandiose
plans for the car, and continued development of a supercharged
version. In 1932 his dreams were realized when the “SJ”
was released. The celebrations were short lived, Fred
Duesenberg having a bad accident during testing of
the car – he would later die from resultant complications.
Financial difficulty at Cord would have dire consequences
for Duesenberg, and neither company would survive past
the late 1930’s.Gallery | Lost
Marques